Miscanthus plant named ‘Gold Breeze’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Miscanthus, Miscanthus sinensis  ‘Gold Breeze’, that is characterized by its stiff leaf blades that are densely banded with alternating bands of creamy yellow and apple green with the banding consistent from the base to the tip of the leaf blade, its moderate plant height, its upright plant habit with foliage that is dense and bushy and resists lodging, and its late season bloom of bright purple-red inflorescences in late September to early October in Oregon.

Botanical classification: Miscanthus sinensis.

Cultivar designation: ‘Gold Breeze’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofMiscanthus sinensis and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivarname, ‘Gold Breeze’. ‘Gold Breeze’ represents a new cultivar of Japanesesilver grass, a cold hardy, perennial ornamental grass grown forlandscape use.

The Inventors discovered the new cultivar as a chance seedling in afield planted with stock plants of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’ (notpatented) at their nursery in Scappoose, Oreg. in summer of 1996. TheInventors evaluated ‘Gold Breeze’ along side other chance seedlings fora period of 10 years before selecting ‘Gold Breeze’ as a single uniqueplant of Miscanthus. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’ (not patented) isconsidered by the Inventors to be a likely seed parent based on thecharacteristics of ‘Gold Breeze’ and its close proximity in the fieldplot.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by culmdivision in Scappoose, Oreg. in late winter of 2007 by the Inventors.The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stableand are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar after observation for a period oftwelve years in Scappoose, Oreg. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Gold Breeze’ from all other cultivars of Miscanthus knownto the Inventors.

-   -   1. ‘Gold Breeze’ exhibits leaf blades that are densely banded        with alternating bands of creamy yellow and apple green with the        banding consistent from the base to the tip of the leaf blade.    -   2. ‘Gold Breeze’ exhibits a moderate plant height; reaching a        height of up to 1.8 m (6 feet).    -   3. ‘Gold Breeze’ exhibits an upright plant habit with foliage        that is dense and bushy and resists lodging.    -   4. ‘Gold Breeze’ exhibits leaf blades that are stiff throughout        the length of the leaf with only the tips arching downward.    -   5. ‘Gold Breeze’ blooms in late September to early October in        the Northwest with inflorescences that open purple-red and turn        tawny brown as they mature.

‘Gold Breeze’ differs from its probable seed parent plant, ‘Strictus’,in having a denser banding habit, in being shorter in height, inflowering later in the season and in having a denser and more bushygrowth habit. ‘Gold Breeze’ can be most closely compared to thecultivars ‘Kirk Alexander’ (not patented) and ‘Zebrinus’ (not patented).‘Gold Breeze’ differs from ‘Kirk Alexander’ in having leaf blades with amore dense and even banding pattern, a more dense, bushy and uprightgrowth habit, a tighter more dense plant base, and in havinginflorescences that are a brighter red in color. ‘Gold Breeze’ differsfrom ‘Zebrinus’ in being more upright and bushy, in maturing to ashorter height, in having leaf banding that is distributed from the baseof the blade to the leaf tip, and in having leaf blades that narrower inwidth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Miscanthus. The photographs weretaken in October of plants 12 years in age as grown outdoors inScappoose, Oreg.

The photograph in FIG. 1. provides a side view of a plant of ‘GoldBreeze’ and illustrates the overall plant habit and general appearance.

The photograph in FIG. 2. provides a close-up view of the bandingpattern of the leaf blades of Gold Breeze.

The photograph in FIG. 3. provides a close-up view of two inflorescencesof Gold Breeze. The colors in the photographs may differ slightly fromthe color values cited in the detailed botanical description, whichaccurately describe the colors of the new Miscanthus.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as grown inan outdoor trial bed for twelve years in Scappoose, Oreg. The phenotypeof the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: ‘Gold Breeze’ is a cultivar of Miscanthus    sinensis.-   Parentage: Naturally occurring seedling of Miscanthus sinensis    ‘Strictus’.-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms in late September to early October            in the Northwest U.S. blooms are retained over the winter.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous, clump-forming, ornamental grass            with an upright, rigid form and dense, bushy foliage.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches up to 1.8 m (6 feet) in height            with a spread of about 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 inches) at base            for a plant 3 years in age.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 5 to 9.        -   Culture.—Grows best in fertile, moist soil in full sun,            tolerates wet soils and light shade in climates with high            temperatures.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases or pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Culm division, tissue culture is also possible.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Culm (stem) description:    -   -   General.—Cylindrical, flattened, completely enclosed by leaf            sheaths in a fan-like arrangement.        -   Culm aspect.—Rigid and held erect.        -   Culm color.—A blend of 138A and 138B.        -   Culm size.—An average of 6 mm in width, an average of 1.2 m            in height on mature plants.        -   Culm surface.—Glabrous, dull and finely ridged.        -   Ligule.—Membranous becoming papery, about 1 to 3 mm width            and 161A in color with fine white hairs on inner surface            about 3 mm in length and 161A in color, encircles the entire            leaf junction but glabrous on outer surface of leaves.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Sheathed.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute, tapering to a fine point.        -   Leaf aspect.—Emerging leaves are erect, leaf blades diverge            from leaf sheath at ligule at up to a 30° to 45° angle            outward from culm, blades are concave, stiff and curve            downward at tips when mature.        -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, mid rib is raised on upper surface            but not conspicuous, color matches the color of the leaf            blades on inner and outer surface.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire, with sharp short bristles that are not            visually noticeable.        -   Internode length.—An average of 6.5 cm.        -   Leaf persistence.—Foliage dries but is persistent throughout            the winter.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sheathed, leaf is sheathed from the base of            culm and the blade extends out from the culm at a ligule.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 45 cm in length, an average of 8.5            mm in width tapering to a point at the apex.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous on upper and slightly glaucous on            lower surface.        -   Leaf number.—An average of 11 on a culm 90 cm in length.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate, 2 ranked.        -   Leaf color and banding description.—Banding is composed of            alternating green and creamy yellow bands on the upper and            lower surface of the leaf blades, an average of 14 yellow            bands and 14 green bands per leaf blade measuring 44 cm in            length, bands extend the entire width of the leaf blade with            bands an average of 1.5 cm in length, yellow bands are 11A            in color on upper and lower surface and green bands are a            color between 147A and 137A on upper surface and 137A on            lower surface.-   Flower description:    -   -   General description.—Compact, fan-shaped panicle terminating            from each culm in late September to early October in Oregon,            composed of numerous slender, silky aggregate racemes,            cascading to one side, spikelets arranged in pairs on            individual zig-zag like racemes.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Panicles are persistent from            fall through winter.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Panicle color.—Emerges a blend between 145B and 145C and            becoming heavily diffused with 187A and 187B and changes to            about 161A during plant dormancy.        -   Panicle size.—An average of 22 cm in length and 9 cm in            width with individual racemes an average of 10 cm in length            and 3 cm in width.        -   Peduncle.—An average of 10 cm in length and 0.5 mm in width,            glabrous surface and 147A in color.        -   Pedicels.—Unequal in length on pairs of spikelets, an            average of 4 mm in length and 0.5 m in width and 147A in            color.        -   Spikelet description.—Equal membranous glumes about 4 mm in            length and 1 mm in width and a blend of 151A and 200A in            color, shorter hyaline lemma extending into very fine,            flexuous fine awn extending about 8 mm beyond spikelet,            palea small and hyaline.        -   Spikelet size.—About 5 mm in length and 2 mm in width            (excluding awn).        -   Spikelet hairs.—Emerging from the base as a tuft surrounding            the base, long, average of 3.5 mm in length, very fine,            about N77B in color and changing to about 155B in color.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Androecium.—Anthers; 3, 3 mm in length and 0.8 mm in width,            200C in color, basifixed on very fine filament extending            about 1.5 mm from spikelet, pollen; not visible.        -   Gynoecium.—Pistil; 1, 2 plumose stigmas on short, file            styles, stigma color is 202A, 1.5 mm in length and 0.3 mm in            width, ovary; 1-locular, superior, minute, not easily            quantifiable in size and color.        -   Caryopsis.—No caryopsis production was observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Miscanthus plant named ‘Gold Breeze’as herein illustrated and described.